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**When the sunlight struck the treetops of the vine-choked forest, the lush leaves shimmered brilliantly. The mana beasts were greeting the dawn.**
But an eerie green mist creeping over the horizon began to shatter the peace. At first, it seemed like ordinary fog carried by the wind. Yet as it spread through the forest, it didn't take long to notice the leaves withering, the vines twisting and drying up.
The chimpanzees roared and shrieked in alarm, warning one another. But before they could flee, yellowish-green tendrils, like poisonous threads, reached out from the mist and brushed against their skin. Their fur began to fall out, their eyes watered. Breathing grew labored, their lungs burning. In panic, they leaped from the branches to the ground—only to find the earth cracked and parched. Those mighty trees, vines, and flowers were now nothing but ashen, rotting husks.
Screaming, they shoved past each other, dragging the weakened as they fled deeper into the forest. The green mist slithered after them, and those who dared glance back watched their birthplace crumble into ruin. Once-living branches were now silent, leafless skeletons. By the time the last chimp crossed the tree line, the forest behind them had already become a dead swamp.
*"Ahh, so you're the first one to arrive."*
A young figure with short black hair grinned cheerfully. Before him stood one of the mana beasts that had once given him trouble.
Before the chimp could even react, the boy lunged.
He held his mana in the *"Enn"* form. A solid punch crushed the chimp's face. The dying mana beast disintegrated, dissolving into blue mana particles.
At that moment, a message flashed in Kaelen's mind:
**[Mana Beast "Deceitful Ape" slain. Corrupted Rank 1.]**
A flicker of curiosity crossed Kaelen's face.
He had always assumed these mana beasts were created by Pheniyet's mana—but no, that wasn't the case. They were the lowest-tier monsters. Meaning this was truly an artificial spell seed. A *corrupted* beast.
*How had Pheniyet pulled this off?* Kaelen was genuinely intrigued.
*"That damned witch still manages to surprise me with her skills."*
The message the spell had implanted in his mind was real—something only possible in the magical world.
Kaelen had two theories:
**First**, Pheniyet's mana realm existed somewhere between the real world and the magical world.
**Second**, Pheniyet was powerful enough to create an artificial *model* of the magical world.
The second seemed impossible, even to Kaelen. So he focused on the first.
Meaning the chimps, like them, had been brought here. They then built their own ecosystem, fought among themselves, and claimed territory. That's why killing any beast rewarded him like in the magical world, with the spell whispering in his ear.
*"This is truly fascinating,"* Kaelen murmured, smiling.
By the second day, the forest was dying.
The green mist spread relentlessly, killing indiscriminately—human or mana beast.
Of course, some would survive. They were now heading deeper, toward where Kaelen stood.
Another mana beast, injured by the mist, stumbled out of the forest. Its fur was scorched, one eye blinded.
Then another emerged.
And another.
Kaelen grinned. Today was going to be *fun*.
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**The Battle:**
In the mist-choked forest, a faint breeze rattled the branches as Kaelen steadied his breath. His fists clenched, his mana core vibrating faintly. He eyed the corrupted beasts before him.
One was an old wolf—or something that had once been a wolf. Patches of fur had fallen out, black veins bulging beneath its skin. Its eyes were milky white, seemingly blind, yet Kaelen sensed it *wasn't*. The mist had swallowed its vision, but its perception worked differently—perhaps through sound or vibration. One thing was certain: this creature could *feel* its prey. The beast snarled, locking onto Kaelen's position.
The other was a massive boar. Its hide was armored with bristling black quills, muscles hardened like steel. Its tusks had grotesquely overgrown, now coiled with venomous spikes.
The Mist-Eyed Wolf circled impatiently, while the boar stood directly before Kaelen, snorting steam, hooves scraping the earth. Kaelen had to predict where the attack would come from.
A tremor—then the wolf moved like a ghost. It lunged, its mist-cloaked body nearly invisible. Kaelen barely dodged, rolling aside—just as the boar *charged!*
Kaelen kicked off the ground, wind aiding his leap. The wolf's strike missed, but the boar's momentum shattered a tree behind him. The crashing timber gave him an idea.
Landing, he channeled his mana, feeling the air's flow. When the wolf struck again, Kaelen sidestepped and drove a mana-infused blow into its exposed neck!
It *should* have been decisive.
The wolf staggered but recovered.
Kaelen cursed.
The boar attacked again. Kaelen dodged, using its momentum—just as the wolf reflexively leaped aside. But Kaelen was ready. He focused his mana into his fist—**"Mef" form**, the fifth mana technique, compressing energy into a single body part.
(If channeled into the eyes, it granted telescopic vision. Into limbs, it enhanced speed and strength.)
Kaelen *detonated* it.
The wolf shrieked—one milky eye burst. *Now* it was blind.
Seizing the chance, Kaelen crouched, mana surging to his legs, and *launched* himself upward. The boar—"Iron Hide"—charged again, but Kaelen twisted midair, slashing his mana like a blade across its thick hide. A red line split its flesh. It roared, slowing.
Kaelen turned to the wolf. Blind and bleeding, it relied solely on senses. A flicker of pity—these were once just animals, now twisted by mana.
With a respectful exhale, he struck the final blow.
Silence fell. The mist began to thin. Kaelen exhaled slowly. This was only the beginning.
The spell's whisper came:
**[Mana Beast "Mist-Eye" slain. Corrupted Rank 1.]
[Mana Beast "Iron Hide" slain. Corrupted Rank 1.]
[Reward acquired.]**
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